Type 2, No Motto

Ron Guth: "No Motto", on Seated Liberty Quarter Dollars, refers to the absence of the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" (which did not appear on the reverse of these coins until 1866). The No Motto type ran from 1838 through 1865, although the 1838-1840 "No Drapery" and 1853 "Arrows and Rays" and 1854-1855 "Arrows at Date" are considered separate sub-types. Among the remaining coins, the rarest is the 1849-O, a coin that does not appear in the Mint Reports, but which exists nonetheless. This series is collectible in circulated condition, although some dates become quite valuable as they approach the Mint State level. In Uncirculated condition, some of the dates (such as the afore-mentioned 1849-O, the 1859-S, 1860-S, 1861-S, and 1864-S) become prohibitively rare. The lowest recorded mintage for this series is 20,000 (for the 1864-S); the highest recorded mintage is 9,644,000 (for the 1857). Scarce varieties include the 1842-O Small Date, the 1853 Recut Date, and the 1856-S S over Small S. The 1866 No Motto Quarter Dollar is listed in some price guides, but this unique coin is generally considered to be a pattern.